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PSA: I thought my new filter was a waste of money until I saw the Horsehead Nebula
I bought a 2-inch H-alpha filter for my 8-inch scope last month, and for the first few nights, I was sure I got a bad one. The view was just a dim red blob, and I couldn't see any of the dark dust lanes in emission nebulae that people talk about. I almost sent it back. Then, during a really dark night out near Flagstaff, I pointed at the Horsehead. I let my eyes adjust for a full 20 minutes, using averted vision. Suddenly, the shape just popped out at me, clear as day, with Barnard's Loop faintly wrapping around it. The filter was blocking all the light pollution and letting only that specific red light through. It wasn't the filter that was bad, I just hadn't given my eyes or the sky conditions a real chance. Has anyone else had a piece of gear that seemed useless until one specific target or night made it click?
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cameronp471mo ago
My 12mm eyepiece sat in the case for a year because everything was too dim. Then I tried it on the Orion Nebula under a black sky and the Trapezium stars split like magic. @jamief67, you should totally try that filter again on a super dark night.
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